My daughter has saved up to buy an iPhone 6s. Looking at the cost of replacing screens and the possibility that it could happen (still at high school), is $229 AppleCare worth the money? I understand there is still a $169 fee for any repairs but together that is still much cheaper than the full cost of replacing the screen. Yes we have home insurance but there's the hassle and excess to contend with.

ZollyMonsta: My personal opinion is its a waste. Three iPhones down the track and have never had a broken screen. The CGA covers you for other non accidental manufacturer faults

CGA shouldn't even need to be enforced as in nz brightstar /brightpoint both give them a 2 year warranty thus been what most would call a reasonable period of time for a product that spends all it's life on the move

Personally think it is a waste of money. Invest in a decent case and a tempered glass screen protector instead. If you're prone to dropping your phone then the Lifeproof line of cases are very good.

We're so lucky to have something like the CGA here in NZ and even still - that has forced most retailers (including Brightstar) to up their warranties to 2 years to match the CGA. When you smash your screen sure it is annoying, but the cost difference of a new screen from Apple to one of those repair places is only around $60 so you'll have to smash your screen quite a number of times in order to make Applecare worth it.

michaelmurfy: When you smash your screen sure it is annoying, but the cost difference of a new screen from Apple to one of those repair places is only around $60 so you'll have to smash your screen quite a number of times in order to make Applecare worth it.

This isn't really a fair comparison. It's my understanding that repair discount included in the Applecare warranty covers all 'accidental damage', whereas a cowboy repair outfit will probably just replace the screen and hope like hell that no other components have been damaged by the impact.

For me the tech support makes Applecare worthwhile - I don't call them often but when I do I desperately need help. The other benefits are just an added bonus.

michaelmurfy: When you smash your screen sure it is annoying, but the cost difference of a new screen from Apple to one of those repair places is only around $60 so you'll have to smash your screen quite a number of times in order to make Applecare worth it.

This isn't really a fair comparison. It's my understanding that repair discount included in the Applecare warranty covers all 'accidental damage', whereas a cowboy repair outfit will probably just replace the screen and hope like hell that no other components have been damaged by the impact.

For me the tech support makes Applecare worthwhile - I don't call them often but when I do I desperately need help. The other benefits are just an added bonus.

Are we talking about "applecare" or "applecare+" they are two different products!

I've heard that a replacement screen is around $600, have I heard wrong?

She's had a 4s for 2 years and always has it in a case, not broken a screen and takes reasonable care of it. At work, I've seen a lot of the people with iPhones break the screen, or bend it badly, or worse toilet, snow, river and even accidentally drive over it. Yes accidents happen to any phone, but never yet seen a Galaxy with a broken screen. The accidental cover is partly the reason for AppleCare, yes I think it is AppleCare+.

She would never put on a bulky/ugly case, more likely to be one of those thin, transparent cases to show off the rose gold!!! The screen protector yes, that sounds like a good idea. Does it protect it from breaking when dropped?

I'm happy to argue with wherever I buy it from for CGA if it develops a fault, but you hear of so many "it's got water damage" excuses on phones that having the cover will just sort this out without argument.

It's basically an insurance policy. I always self insure rather than buy an extended warranty/accidental damage

$600 sound extortion as Apple charge us$129 for a new 6s screen here, walk in to store, walk out with new phone and $129 missing from Your wallet

Don't insurance policies normally turn a profit?

indeed they do, by self-insure I mean take on the risk, and be responsible by not dropping the phone etc

I get you now, by self insuring, you're not making a "profit", or at least giving someone else a profit. You're not saying that Apple are making a profit on their insurance policies and everyone else isn't which is how I took your first statement.

StarBlazer: My daughter has saved up to buy an iPhone 6s. Looking at the cost of replacing screens and the possibility that it could happen (still at high school), is $229 AppleCare worth the money? I understand there is still a $169 fee for any repairs but together that is still much cheaper than the full cost of replacing the screen. Yes we have home insurance but there's the hassle and excess to contend with.

What are your thoughts and experiences?

I bought AppleCare for my Macbook Air.....just in case.

For phones, two rules:

1. I insure my own. I break it, I buy a new one.

2. I don't buy a phone I can't afford to replace. I buy a cheaper phone.

But teenagers usually have to learn the hard way. Let her do that.

____________________________________________________I'm on a high fibre diet.